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Amberpaw's Enemy
This is the first book in the Amberflower's Quest series. ' 'Prologue A lone black tom stood with his back to the mountains, his different-colored eyes staring stoically up at the dark sky. His mouth was still filled with blood, but he ignored the pain. She will return. '' Someday, they or their descendants would come back to the mountain. He was sure of it. And then revenge would be his. Turning, he made his way back to the cave where he lived. Several pairs of glowing eyes stared back at him. Then a skinny, crooked old tom stepped forward, gazing at him through sightless blue eyes. "The time has come. She is coming." "When?" the tom said coolly. He blinked long and slow, as though it was flowing into him. Then he gave a nod. "On the night of the full moon, I know not which. She comes with the sweetness of the flower and the glint of amber. She is your downfall." "Nonsense!" The black tom swatted angrily at the cat. "She is my revenge. This is what I have been waiting for." An eerie chanting began from the cats in the cave. It echoed down the mountainside, but failed to reach the peaceful grass and woods beyond. Up above, the stars twinkled silently, helpless spectators to the evil brewing. 'Chapter One' Amberpaw crouched in the tall grass, her muscles tense under her tortoiseshell coat. She crept an inch closer, careful to keep within the shadow of the leafy bush. The reddish-brown she-cat continued her browsing for catmint, unaware of the danger. In one fluid motion, Amberpaw rushed forward and slammed into the she-cat. Strong-smelling leaves went flying everywhere, as did patches of tortoiseshell and red fur as the two she-cats tussled. "Amberpaw! You nearly gave me a heart attack. I thought you were rogue or something!" Amberpaw laughed and nudged her sister. "Come on Fernpaw. It was hilarious. I can't believe you didn't see me." Fernpaw pretended to be cross, but her sage green eyes twinkled merrily. "Help me pick this catmint up. Now that it's finally new-leaf, Shineheart and I are stocking up on as many herbs as we can." "Okay," Amberpaw said, picking up a few leaves in her mouth. The sharp minty taste flooded her mouth, stilling her tongue for once, and she was quiet as they headed back to LeafClan's camp. Shineheart stood outside, scolding Bearpaw and Thistlepaw for putting red ants in Honeypaw's nest. The golden tabby apprentice stood nearby, a clump of chewed leaves on her rump where she'd been bitten, glowering at her two brothers. "Can't say she didn't deserve it," Amberpaw muttered under her breath. She had no use for tom-obsessed fastidious she-cats like Honeypaw. The two brothers trotted towards them, eyes still sparkling mischievously. "Hey Amberpaw," Bearpaw called. "I didn't know you wanted to be a medicine cat too!" Amberpaw had to settle for flicking her tail across his shoulder since her mouth was full. Once they were inside the medicine cat's den, she spat the catmint out. "Blech! How do you medicine cat's get used to it?" Shineheart popped in, her golden-white pelt gleaming in the early afternoon sun. "Those two are the biggest troublemakers I've ever seen. Oh good, Fernpaw you're back. We need to throw out our old winter stores and rearrange them." "And that's my signal. I'm out of here. Catch you later." Amberpaw nuzzled Fernpaw's cheek and made her way back out into the camp. "Amberpaw!" Her mother was trotting towards her. Swiftbreeze was still young and pretty as ever; her golden brown coat gleamed, and her jolly amber eyes, the same shade as Amberpaw's, could still turn a tom's heart over so fast he'd think it stopped. "Hi," she said. "What's up?" "Brackenfall wants you. He's waiting by the apprentice's den. You have fight-training." Amberpaw's eyes gleamed; fighting was something she did well. "Okay, thanks!" She headed towards the apprentice's den, a large sandy den that used to be a badger set. Brackenfall was standing outside, his bracken-colored pelt turned to a flaming orange in the sun. "Ready?" he said, a note of teasing in his voice. "Or would you rather spend the rest of the day leaf-gathering?" "Oh please," Amberpaw said, laughing and butting his shoulder. They headed out of the camp, up the fallen log that provided a good pathway out of the gully, and out into LeafClan's lovely spring-bejeweled woods. "We're going to the Flat Top," said Brackenfall. The Flat Top was a miniature mesa that rose out of the ground near the border between LeafClan and DryClan. It had a few sparse trees on their side, and sloped into desert on DryClan's side. It made the perfect place to train, but it was also being constantly fought over. They reached the plateau and made their way to the top. "Race you there!" called her mentor, shooting ahead. "No fair!" Amberpaw hurtled after him. Though his strides were faster, she could run like lightening, and as they neared the top she overtook Brackenfall. Scrambling the last few tail-lengths, she pranced about, crowing, "Coudling catch up? Am I too much for your old bones? I can slow it down if you like." Spitting dust out of his mouth, Brackenfall began, "Okay Amb-" "Ha! You actually ate my dust." She wasn't finished yet. Pretending to be angry, he darted forward. "You're going to regret that missy." He chased her around the Flat Top for a while, then they settled down to the business of training. "We're going to try an advanced move today," Brackenfall said. "Normally only apprentices at least Bearpaw, Honeypaw, and Thistlepaw's age get to learn this, but I think you can handle it." "Bring it on." Amberpaw dropped to a crouch, the picture of steely focus. "Okay," he said. "This is called the tuck and roll. It sounds like a coward's move, but it's actually extremely helpful in attacks. First, you wait till a cat is lunging at you. Then you leap high into the air. This makes it look like you will attack from above. But instead, you curl yourself into a ball and somersault out of the way. If you master that part, you can try uncurling and lashing out with your paws to trip your oppenent." "Let me try!" Amberpaw exclaimed. "Not yet. Let me demonstrate. It's not as easy as it sounds. Okay, come at me." Amberpaw rushed towards Brackenfall. Since she knew he would escape, she longed to try a trick or two, but this was only an example. Subduing her fighting instincts, she made a clean dash for his shoulder. Her mentor leaped up, but she could see his muscles were taut instead of extended. ''Who would fall for this? ''She had to remind herself that there was no opportunity to closely observe your opponent in a real battle. Curling up into himself, the tom landed in a somersault, uncurled his legs, and lashed out. Amberpaw couldn't resist; she leaped up and landed hard on his legs, pinning her mentor to the ground. Laughing, Brackenfall pushed her off. "Okay, I can see there's no fooling you. Why don't you try it now?" "Sure," she said. Hardly able to wait till the golden-brown tom rushed her, she jumped perfectly. Instead of going higher though, she coiled up, tucking her legs so that they were bunched just so that she could somersault, and extend her legs easily enough. The landing took her breath away; she hadn't anticipated the ground rushing up so hard or fast. Gritting her teeth, she let her back absorb the blow and flipped swiftly, using the momentum of her jump. Brackenfall was still standing within striking-range, so she shot out a curved front leg and hooked it around his back leg, pulling the tendon. He collapsed with a yowl of surprise. "Impressive Amberpaw. I wouldn't want to be against you in a fight. I can hardly stand my ground in a training session." "Don't say that, because you taught me everything I know." Amberpaw had a healthy self-confidence level, but she wasn't given in to flattery. "We had better get back to the camp," Brackenfall said. "I want to get a rest before the evening patrol." "Sure," she agreed good-naturedly, following her mentor. The crisp, cool leaf-green breeze brought with it the whisper of prey in the undergrowth and the sweet perfume of newly budding flowers. With a contented sigh, Amberpaw gazed about her home with large eyes, drinking in the day. Brackenfall's voice brought her back to earth. "See that vole over there? Let's see if you can catch it?" Amberpaw spotted the creature nibbling around the roots of a young sapling. She dropped into the hunter's crouch and moved forward silently, not letting her tail brush the ground. For a split second, the vole raised it's head, it's tiny nose twitching as it tested the air. Then Amberpaw thrust off with her hind legs and landed squarely on top of her prey, dispatching it with a swift blow to the neck. "Good job," Brackenfall said. Seeing her lick her chops, he added, "This will make a nice snack for Morningheart and her kits." Amberpaw ducked her head, ashamed. "Of course." She picked up the prey, ignoring its delicious scent. Brackenfall smiled. "You can pick something from the fresh-kill pile though. We've been training hard." She brightened a little. "Sure." Bounding ahead, she scampered down the log bridge into the sheltered gully. Fernpaw looked up as she entered; she had just emerged from the medicine cat's den. "Hi Amberpaw! Want to share a piece of fresh-kill?" "Yes, let me just drop this off at the nursery." Amberpaw headed for the most sheltered badger cave, half-blocked by a large moss-covered boulder. From inside came the faint sound of mewling kits. She entered, breathing in the warm, milky scent. Morningheart and Shyspirit were stranded in the middle of Morningheart's Herd, the nickname given to Pebblekit, Bluekit, Sweetkit, and Thornkit by any cat that had experienced their tantrums. "Momma! Shyspirit! I wanna go outside!" "Now!" "Why can't we go outside?" "We're mighty warriors!" Morningheart's gray eyes registered relief as Amberpaw entered. She took the vole. "Thank you so much. I haven't been able to leave for fear that the kits will get into a scrape." Shyspirit laughed lightly. She was a small, aptly named silver she-cat. Quiet though she might be, her round, expressive brown eyes and sweet pointed face had captured the heart of the Clan's deputy, Strikefoot. Now her flanks were plump with kits, and she seemed to already have a lot of practice dealing with the Morningheart's four terrors. "They haven't been that bad." Morningheart rolled her eyes. "When you have your kits, you enjoy their reign of terror. For now, I shall gripe and complain all I want." Amberpaw smiled. "Be good okay?" she said to the four kits. The three she-kits nodded, but Thornkit screwed up his face. "Nope, don't wanna." Amberpaw kept a straight face till she left. Then she collapsed helplessly on the ground and rolled around laughing, kicking her paws in the air. "What's so funny?" Amberpaw found herself looking into the faces of Thistlepaw and Bearpaw. Both toms looked amused. "Nothing," she snapped, climbing to her paws and giving her fur a shake. Thistlepaw grinned, his yellow eyes vibrant against his dark gray coat. "Want to help us dump Honeypaw in the river?" Amberpaw blinked at them. "No." "Fine, goody two-paws," snickered Bearpaw. "Just don't tattle, okay?" "I am not- Come back here!" The two tom raced out of the camp, leaving her fuming. Shaking her head, Amberpaw headed for her den. ''Toms. 'Chapter Two' "Fernpaw. Fernpaw? Fernpaw!" Amberpaw leaped on top of her sister, who gave a surprised snort and shot straight up in her nest. "Amberpaw," she groaned, flicking a piece of grass off her ear. "Do you always have to wake up so early?" Amberpaw grinned. "What a disgrace. A goody-two-paws who can't even wake up on time. Come on mouse-brain, let's get some breakfast." Fernpaw smiled and got to her paws. "Might as well. I can't get back to sleep now, can I?" "Nope," Amberpaw declared, leading the way out of the medicine cat's den where her sister slept. "Now hurry up, or Bearpaw and Thistlepaw will have gobbled all the prey." Honeypaw was outside, her golden pelt the fluffed up so she resembled a big fat sun with a bad hair day. "You two are the most ignorant, vexatious, beleaguering, blood-sucking pair of plaguing parasites-" "Chill Honeypaw," Thistlepaw said casually. "Oh wait. You already did! How was the water?" Fernpaw padded over hastily, sheilding the toms from their sister, who looked ready to literally explode. "Come on guys, there's no need to fight." "Yes there is!" Spittle flew from Honeypaw's mouth as she screamed. "Let me at them. Just let me at them! I'll rip them to shreds! I'll-" "Okay, see you later," Bearpaw said. He and Thistlepaw padded away. "Wow," Amberpaw said, trying to hold back her laughter. "I'm, uh, really sorry for you Honeypaw." "My fur!" she wailed. "Look what they did to my fur! Maybe Shineheart has an herb for that. Does she Fernpaw?" she asked desperately. "Uh, let's go check," Fernpaw said uncertainly. Amberpaw watched her sister lead the sobbing Honeypaw away, then turned to the fresh-kill pile with an unholy grin on her face. Bearpaw looked up and caught her, and his amber eyes sparkled. Getting up and padding over, he nudged her roughly. "You gotta admit that was funny." Amberpaw lifted her head and sniffed delicately. "I don't have to admit anything." She sat down, pulled a vole towards her, and began eating. Before she could take more then a bite though, Bearpaw butted his big head in front of her and took an enormous bite of her fresh-kill. With a squeal of outrage, she cuffed him soundly on the side of the head. "Ow!" he exclaimed, drawing back and putting on a wounded look. "That hurt." "Oh, did it?" she said, pouting. She cuffed him again. "Good." Stomping away, she finished the rest of her vole in peace. What was with toms these days? Brackenfall stared at Thistlepaw, who was chasing Bearpaw around with a crab, and Honeypaw and Fernpaw, who were locked in a heated debate about whether DryClan cats went to StarClan. He shook his head very slowly, letting out a groan. "And who exactly is the genius that came up with the idea to take the apprentices out for a picnic?" "That would be me." Riverstar approached them from behind. His face was stern, but his deep blue eyes twinkled good-naturedly. "And if you don't like it Brackenfall, we can always find someone else to do it." The golden tom's eyes lit up. "Really?" "No. You're our last resort. Don't let us down." "Thanks," he muttered. Amberpaw laughed and nudged him. "Oh, come on. It won't be so bad. We'll all have fun." She tried to signal to her friends to stop being such idiots, but none of them caught it. With a weary sigh, her mentor led them out of LeafClan's camp. "Okay you hooligans, listen up. I got stuck with this because all of the other mentors were 'busy', and I'm not too happy about it." The other apprentices fell silent, but Amberpaw smiled. She knew Brackenfall; pretty soon he'd be goofing off and playing with the rest of them, for all the airs he put on about being mature. "We're going to the field on the other side of our territory, away from Flat Top. There, I can murder you all, and no one will hear your screams." Fernpaw gasped, and Amberpaw, Bearpaw, and Thistlepaw burst out laughing. The hint of a smile tugged at Brackenfall's mouth. "Okay? Onward troops!" Laughing and talking, the five apprentices followed Brackenfall through the woods, the sun bright overhead. Amberpaw felt content; training was all right, but it was nice to relax and just have fun sometimes. They reached the hill, and Amberpaw took a deep breath, relishing the beauty of the vast green expanse in front of her, dotted here and there with nodding wildflowers. Letting out twin whoops, Bearpaw and Thistlepaw rolled down the hill, landing at the bottom in a heap of legs and tails. Grinning like a kit, Brackenfall followed suit. "Come on Amberpaw!" Bearpaw yelled up to her. "Try it! It's fun!" Honeypaw rolled her eyes. "Do not. Only a complete heathen-" Her eyes widened with shock as Amberpaw gave a shrug, tucked her legs under her, and somersaulted down the hill. She slammed into Thistlepaw, sending him flying, and allowed herself to lay motionless for a few seconds, enjoying the smell of the fresh grass beneath her, and the touch of clover tickling her ears. "Nice," Bearpaw crowed exuberantly. He held up a paw for a high five, but Amberpaw brushed past him, her amber eyes taking in the wide blue sky, with stray puffs of cloud wafting across like little boats across an ocean- "Amberpaw? Want to play tag with us?" Bearpaw asked. Thistlepaw rolled his eyes impatiently, clearly not impressed with his brother's attempt to include her. "What? No thanks." Amberpaw scampered away from the two toms, unaware that Bearpaw stared after her for several minutes(until Thistlepaw clubbed him over the head), and joined Fernpaw, who was bent over a group of plants, fingering their leaves with her paws. "Hey Amberpaw," she greeted, rubbing her muzzle against her sister's. "Did you ditch Bearpaw?" "Huh?" Amberpaw blinked. "Oh, don't tell me you haven't noticed. He's been trying to get your attention all day, showing off and pestering you with all those questions. Honestly, it's like he has no dignity." "Bearpaw?" she snorted. "You're out of your mind Fernpaw. We're just friends. Besides, he's off having fun now. I wouldn't-" Fernpaw's dusty green eyes suddenly stretched wide. "Amberpaw!" she shrieked. "Look out!" Amberpaw whirled around. She had time to see the laughter vanish from Bearpaw's face, replaced by a look of horror, as the jagged object zoomed towards her. Then the rock slammed into her head, sending an explosion of pain and fireworks dancing across her vision. And then... black. 'Chapter Three' The rock slammed into Amberpaw's head, over and over again. She thrashed out, wailing piteously, begging someone, anyone, to take it away. She cried her mother's name till she was hoarse, but nothing emerged from the inky blackness, only more pain, so much pain that it brought visions of rivers filled with blood, skeletal cats chasing her, reaching out with bony claws and glowing red eyes, and more horrors of her mind. Then there was always him. His different-colored eyes, both blazing with a different kind of fire, fixed on her, his pelt merging with the shadows. Always he brought with him the same words, patient yet filled with foreboding, as if predicting the end of the world. "I'm waiting." Waking up was like being pulled out of a very deep sleep. She could hear voices, but they seemed to be coming from far away. The pain had subsided to a dull ache, so that when she twitched her eyelids, her head didn't reel. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open. Instantly her head began to ache again, but she fought of the waves of sickness, blinking in the light. A concerned face appeared overhead, a pair of solemn green eyes filled with first hopefulness, then shock, then joy. "Amberpaw!" Fernpaw exclaimed, her shout shooting through Amberpaw's ears like an arrow. She winced, but conjured up a smile. "Hey sis." Her voice sounded creaky and weak. What had happened to her? Then it all came back, and she collapsed with a groan. The rock. Bearpaw. ''A tiny spark of fury ignited in her heart, latching to life like the root of what would grow into a huge tree, but she was too exhausted to even be angry then. All she decided was: ''I'll never forgive him for this. Never. "Shineheart!" Fernpaw turned and called out of the medicine cat's den. While she ran to get her mentor, Amberpaw raised her head, grimacing, and looked about. The familiar craggy walls of the medicine den, with herb-filled nooks and crevices, surrounded her. A clear pool of water was in the corner, near a pile of fresh bedding and moss for cats. She dragged herself over to the puddle, each step sending bursts of dizziness through her, and took a few sips. The icy water helped bring her mind into focus. A voice called from behind her. It was Shineheart. "You're awake," she said, her smile radiant. Swiftbreeze was at her side, and she rushed over to her daughter. Purring, Amberpaw let her mother's tongue rasp over her cheek. "Hey Mom." Swiftbreeze's amber eyes shone. "My daughter. Oh, thank goodness you're okay." Smiling, Amberpaw pulled away. "How long have I been like this?" Fernpaw and Shineheart exchanged looks. Fernpaw touched the tip of her tail to Amberpaw's shoulder. "A week," she said softly. "But you weren't exactly unconcious the entire time. You just don't remember it because you were in a half-fevered, delusional state. You kept crying out, saying my name and Swiftbreeze's-" "And I couldn't help you, or do anything," her mother said heartbreakingly. "All I could do was watch as you were in pain, helpless..." She trailed off and gave Amberpaw's cheek another fierce lick. "Don't ever scare me like that again." "I'll try," she promised, breathing in her mother's scent, like she was a kit seeking comfort again. "So, when can I resume my training? Soon I hope. I don't want the others to get that far ahead of me. I mean, they're older, but Brackenfall says I'm almost at their level already, and I'm going to have my assesments with them..." She paused when she saw the expressions on the other's faces. "What?" Fear made her voice crack, and her stomach clenched. "Is there something I'm missing? What is it?" "Amberpaw," Shineheart said slowly, as if handling an easily angered wild beast. "Head injuries are really tricky and unpredictable. Plus, your wound has been through an infection, which is still inside your body. Tiring yourself out with training and all that not only would be risky, it could be fatal." The ground seemed to spin out from under Amberpaw, and this time it wasn't because of her wound. "What?" "You'll have to wait at least a moon, maybe more, to even resume training. I'm sorry." "Amberpaw?" Honeypaw's pretty golden head poked into the den, her eyes sympathetic for once. However, Amberpaw wasn't in the mood. Not at all. "What?" she said, sounding harsher then even she'd intended. The pretty tabby didn't take the hint. She pranced inside, her pawsteps dainty as always. "I thought I could come in here and keep you company." Amberpaw scowled. "I'm not something you have to pity." Honeypaw rolled her eyes. "I never said that. Stop jumping to conclusions Amberpaw." She sat down. "So, the funniest thing happened today. We were in fight-training, and Tanglewhisker had me and Thistlepaw guarding a bush. Bearpaw had to try to break through-" She didn't seem to notice the way Amberpaw's jaw tightened. "- but we both parted and he ran headfirst into the bush! I thought Thistlepaw would die laughing." She smirked. "Well, as long as Bearpaw got hurt," Amberpaw hissed. Just then, Fernpaw walked in. Her eyes took in the expression on her sister's face, and she glared at Honeypaw. "Sorry, you'll have to leave now. We have a policy against too many visitors." Honeypaw tossed her head and stalked out. Fernpaw turned to Amberpaw. "This is driving me crazy!" she exploded. "I'm tired of hearing everyone in the Clan's apologies. Although," she added dryly. "No need to worry about any extra sympathy from Honeypaw." "But there's only one apology you want, isn't there?" Fernpaw ventured. Amberpaw's eyes flamed. "No! Never! I won't forgive him! He ruined my life!" Sadness colored her sister's voice. "He really is sorry Amberpaw. He's just... scared. Don't let revenge or anger rule your heart, please." Amberpaw ignored her, turning away and shutting her out. She didn't care what Fernpaw, the peacemaker, had to say. Bearpaw could rot in the Dark Forest for all she cared. No one needed to worry about revenge; she was too high above that. But she vowed to never forgive the tom, upon pain of death. Some things just ran too deep, like her new scar. And some things were destined to never heal. 'Chapter Four' Coughing? Who was coughing? Raising her head, Amberpaw opened her eyes, and leaped back. The medicine cat's den hadn't been this crowded when she'd gone to sleep. Shineheart was examining Tanglewhisker's throat, and Fernpaw was hurrying back and forth between Thistlepaw and Shyspirit, a weary expression on her face. "What's going on?" she asked, getting to her paws with a frown. Her head still spun whenever she stood, but it was slowly progressing with the therapy Shineheart had been giving her. "Nothing to worry about," the medicine cat explained. "Just a touch of whitecough spreading through the camp.It'll be fine, but you might want to go outside for a bit, catch some fresh air." "Okay," she mumbled, staggering out of the den. That was one of the things she hated most about her head injury; all her movements felt so slow and awkward. Every few minutes a rack of blinding pain would shoot through her, and she would collapse without warning. That was why she wasn't allowed to go out much; no one knew when it would happen. "Hello Amberpaw," Brackenfall greeted her, his eyes warm and kind. Amberpaw turned away, but not in time to stop the flood of tears brimming up in her eyes. She missed their old friendship, but every time she looked at her mentor, she was painfully reminded of all she was losing, each and every day. It was safer, easier, to remain distant from everyone. Brackenfall looked pained, but he nodded and walked off. Amberpaw sat down heavily and began grooming her pelt, trying to ignore the extra-inquisitive stares of her clanmates. Then she heard a voice, soft and hesitant. She looked up into a brown tabby tom's face, his copper eyes filled with a tumult of emotions: fear, nervousness, regret, and sadness. "Amberpaw?" Ice seemed to freeze her heart, and her body. She went rigid, then slowly, methodically, and without meeting his gaze, she continued grooming her pelt. He tried again. "Amberpaw? I'm really sorry..." His voice cracked, and he swallowed hard. "There are no words to express how sorry I am. If I could take it back-" Amberpaw stood abruptly and faced him, preparing to speak the last true words she would ever say to his face. "No, there aren't any words. And there will never be, because you could never possibly know, or understand, what you've done." With that, she turned and walked back to the apprentice's den. She made it in before the pain came. But this time, it wasn't just physical. It was from her heart. Amberpaw gave a sigh, her head on her paws, as she watched Shineheart and Fernpaw bustle about, readying herbs for the "little" outbreak of "whitecough". She felt so useless, but there was nothing she could possibly do. Shineheart said she was coming along fine, but it would be at least another week till she could start training. And suddenly Amberpaw found herself wondering if training would bring any relief. Would she always be "the cat who got hit in the head"? Would she ever be made a warrior? "There you are!" A head poked into the den and looked at her. Amberpaw smiled. "Hey Brackenfall." She got up and padded over. "What's up?" He shrugged. "I've been talking to Riverstar about you." Amberpaw perked up and looked at him eagerly as he continued, "Mostly about your training. After Shineheart has cleared you to go, Riverstar says that provided you're willing, you can begin an extra-rigorous training program to get you back on course. I'm cleared to give it to you. You still won't become a warrior with the older apprentices, but that won't be too bad. You'll finish on schedule for your age." His eyes twinkled, and Amberpaw forced a smile, trying not to show her disappointment. She had worked so hard to keep up with the older apprentices, and Brackenfall had said she'd showed such promise... "Thanks Brackenfall," she purred, telling herself to be grateful. At least she could be a warrior. "So you're willing to do it?" he inquired. "Of course!" she exclaimed, this time with genuine joy. "I'll do anything to become a warrior." He gave her a nod. "Good. You're going to need that attitude soon. It's going to be a long, hard process." Amberpaw squared her jaw, standing erect. "Bring it on." 'Chapter Five' Every bone in Amberpaw's body ached. She let out a groan as she sunk into her nest exhaustedly, with no strength to even turn and get comfortable. And yet she had never been happier. Because, she was back in her nest, not the medicine cat's den. And she was back to doing the thing that gave her life meaning: training. She and Brackenfall had started with warm-up runs, quick swims, and leaps and turns. They had quickly graduated to review of old techniques, and now were on full time hunting and fighting every day. It was bone-achingly tiring, but worth every second. She heard voices, and seconds later Thistlepaw and Bearpaw strutted in, laughing and joking. Both fell silent when they saw her, and Bearpaw's smile faded. "Hey Amberpaw," Thistlepaw mewed. "Great to see you again. How was training?" His brother said nothing, only curled up in his nest without another word, staring at his paws. "Fine," she replied shortly, tucking her tail around her nose to make it clear she didn't care for conversation. Maybe she was being a little hostile to almost everyone save Fernpaw, Swiftbreeze, and Brackenfall. But she couldn't help it. Somehow, it was harder to trust cats now that she knew how quickly things could go wrong. How quickly a life could be destroyed. But mine isn't, ''she reminded herself. ''Thanks to Fernpaw and Shineheart, who helped me recover. And Riverstar and Brackenfall deciding to have faith in me and help me continue advanced training. I won't let any of them down. '' Yawning, she drifted off to sleep. "Amberpaw, wake up. I have a message for you." The apprentice scrambled to her feet with a graceful sound something like: "Whoozat?!" As she blinked the sleep out of her eyes, Amberpaw saw that she was standing in a sunny forest, on top of a pile of boulders. A ginger she-cat stood in front of her, her hazel eyes bright and sparkling. Yet there was something surreal about her; frost clung to her paws despite the warm air, and her form seemed to waver and shimmer, almost like you could reach right through her. Her first panicked thoughts went something like: ''Oh no! Have the last few days been just a deluded dream? Did I die when that rock hit me? But then the she-cat smiled. "Relax. You're just dreaming right now." Amberpaw exhaled in relief, letting out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. "Why?" "StarClan has a message for you. You are very special Amberpaw, as is your destiny. You possess the sweetness of the flower, yet the sharp glint of amber is also within you. You must accomplish your mission, or LeafClan will perish." Her eyes darkened. "But beware how you treat your grudges. Your path will be dark and difficult enough without any more shadows added." "I'm not sure what you mean," said Amberpaw, eyeing her curiously. "What's your name?" The she-cat hesitated. "Poppyheart. My name is Poppyheart. I too was a LeafClan member back when I was alive. And I made some wrong choices. Mistakes. Mistakes I hope to help you not to make. Because trust me Amberpaw. Revenge and shunning someone may seem just now, but when you get even a glimpse of the big picture, you see how wrong you are." Amberpaw could feel her temper rising. "If you're talking about that mange-pelt Bearpaw, I don't want to hear it!" Poppyheart sighed. "Okay," she said sadly. "But don't let it go to your head." "I won't," she promised. "Now, what was that about the flower and the amber?" "Sickness is coming, slowly but surely, upon LeafClan. You must go on a quest to save your Clan. This dream has bee sent to two other cats. Find them. One will accompany you, the other could never. Farewell, Amberpaw, and good luck." "Wait! What do you mean, 'could never'? Will that cat die?" But Poppyheart was gone, leaving Amberpaw alone in the woods. The next thing she knew, it was morning.'' Sickness. Her stomach twisted as she saw Tanglewhisker hurry past, on her way to the medicine cat's den again. Padding outside, she glimpsed Strikefoot standing in the middle of the clearing with a harried look on his face; it must be hard to arrange patrols with half your warriors coughing or spluttering. "What is going on?" she murmured. "Everyone's sick," Honeypaw said; for once there was worry in her eyes. "Pearfur too." Pearfur, Amberpaw recalled from her days in the nursery, was Honeypaw, Thistlepaw, and Bearpaw's mother. "I'm so sorry," she said, touching her tail to Honeypaw's shoulder; she didn't begrudge the she-cat for what her brother had done. "Thanks," the golden apprentice replied. Her head shot up. "I hear my mentor calling. Another hunting patrol." She sighed. "See you later." "Bye," Amberpaw said. She looked about for Brackenfall, and spotted him waiting for her. Bounding up to him, she panted, "Sorry I woke up late. Ready to go?" She didn't mention the dream; she wasn't sure what it meant herself yet. Maybe Fernpaw and Shineheart would know, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them just yet. Especially not what Poppyheart had said about grudges. "It's okay," Brackenfall said. "Come on." As they padded out of the camp, he paused briefly to cough and yack, his sides shaking. "Furball," he croaked, flicking his tail to go onwards, but Amberpaw felt a dark pit emerge in her stomach. If her beloved mentor became ill, what would become of her being a warrior? What would become of him? Of LeafClan itself? 'Chapter Six' "Hunting patrol, Amberpaw," Brackenfall said. "I'm sorry, but we need all the able paws we can get nowadays. Your training will have to wait." "It's fine," she said, shouldering her way out of the apprentice's den. Yawning, she padded over to the patrol, which consisted of Honeypaw, Brackenfall, Dapplenose, and... She turned away from Bearpaw, anger sparking in her like a fresh fuel. ''I can't make trouble now, ''she told herself. ''I'll just channel this energy into the hunt. Ignoring the tabby tom, she padded beside Brackenfall, watching her mentor out of the corner of her eye for symptoms of sickness. He seemed fine to her, but then again, she was no medicine cat. Surely his gold pelt was looking a little less shiny today? And his nose was slightly runny. She sighed. She would have to get Fernpaw to look at him to be sure, and that wouldn't be easy. Turning her attention back to the hunt, she raised her nose and sniffed the air. Vole. Following the scent, she wove through the bushes and spotted the small brown animal rooting around in the dirt beneath a bush. With a single, powerful leap, she pinned it the the ground and nipped it on the neck. Suddenly, a rush of icy wind flowed over her, bringing the echo of countless pawsteps to her ears, and a familiar, breathtaking scent overwhelmed her nose. "StarClan," she breathed. Looking up, she saw Poppyheart watching her. "How... How are you here?" Looking closer, Amberpaw could see through the white patches on her ginger pelt, past them to the bushes behind. "StarClan's reaches are not as limited as you might think," she replied. "Although we usually only speak to medicine cats, this is important. Amberpaw, your destiny is one you need to take seriously. Do you understand me? You have a quest..." She paused, as if trying to decide how much to tell her. "For now, just know that you are special. LeafClan needs you desperately. This illness will not go away any time soon." Amberpaw stared at her in disbelief. "How can I save them? I'm no medicine cat. The most they need me for is hunting and fighting." Poppyheart's hazel eyes darkened with shadow. "Trust me, they need you for much, much more. But you're right about one thing. Your journey does not begin immediately. Right now, your Clan faces a more sudden danger. And it's not from sickness." "Then what is it?" Amberpaw said, her pulse quickening. "Beware," Poppyheart said, as her form began to dissolve into mist. "Beware the drought that stifles the leaves of new-leaf. Beware." Then she was gone, leaving Amberpaw standing, frozen in shock, the vole still warm underpaw. Picking up the prey, she headed back towards the patrol, too lost in thought to snag much more prey, save a squirrel that practically threw itself in front of her. Brackenfall's eyes brightened when he saw her, then dulled slightly with disappointment; her pelt prickled with shame. She was a good hunter, and he had clearly expected more from her. Seconds later though, he had shaken it off, and congratulated her on her kill. The words were hollow to Amberpaw; her mind was already lost in swathes of dark thoughts. "What on earth could a drought be?" she murmured to herself. "What was that?" Dapplenose mewed as she approached with a scrawny sparrow. Bearpaw followed, his jaws stuffed with two voles and a fat mouse. Amberpaw refused to be impressed, though she did regret not catching as much as him, if not more. Suddenly, a patrol of cats streaked past them, Strikefoot in the lead. The deputy's eyes were slits, and his tail was bushed up. This was a battle patrol. "Whoa, what's the rush?" Honeypaw exclaimed. Most of the cats didn't stop to talk, but Snowmelt paused, flicking his gray-capped ears. "It's DryClan," he panted. "They're trying to take over Flat Top, and our warriors are so weak, I don't know if we'll be able to stop them." "We're coming with you," Brackenfall said instantly. "Honeypaw, take the prey back to camp. Amberpaw-" "I'm coming," she said firmly. It was all coming together. The drought was DryClan, and the leaves were obviously LeafClan. Bile rose along with fear in her throat. Snowmelt was right. How in StarClan could they hope to defeat the enemy Clan in their weakened state? "There's no time to argue," Brackenfall responded, as Honeypaw gathered the prey in her jaws. "Come on!" Along with the rest of her Clanmates, Amberpaw broke into a run, brambles clutching at her fur as she pounded along. Bearpaw was on her tail, and she quickened her pace, till she was flying ahead of her Clanmates. Upon reaching the edge of the plateau, her heart stopped at the same time as her skidding paws did. The first thing she noticed was the reek of blood and death. The fight looked more intense then any battle she had ever fought in. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. LeafClan is counting on me. Determination lending strength to her paws, she plowed her way uphill, into the heart of the battle. 'Chapter Seven' Amberpaw bit down as hard as she could on the first DryClan cat she came to, who happened to be the deputy, Sagefrost. Ignoring the sting of scratches the she-cat laid upon her, Amberpaw clawed at her ear, then did a flip backwards, landed on her paws, and yanked Sagefrost's legs out from under her. A glow of triumph filled her, as she realized all those hours of extra training had paid off. There was no time to revel in victory though, because Sagefrost leaped up at that instant, blue eyes gleaming with fury. Yowling, she threw herself at Amberpaw, sending the apprentice skidding backwards with the force of her attack. Before Amberpaw could regain her feet, Sagefrost bit down on the scruff of her neck, causing blood to flow freely down her neck. "Pick on someone your own size!" yowled Dapplenose, materializing out of nowhere and pulling the DryClan deputy off of Amberpaw. Together, they drove the rival warrior back. However, it was becoming increasingly clear that the LeafClan cats were in trouble. Outnumbered and weakened by sickness and too many patrols, they were beginning to falter desperately, fighting for their lives now, rather then victory. "We have to retreat!" Strikefoot called. The deputy was bleeding from a criss-cross of wounds across his flanks, and one eye was swollen nearly shut. "Back, LeafClan! We will settle this another day!" Hissing, Amberpaw limped down the side of Flat Top, the triumphant sounds of the gloating DryClan cats floating after her. That did not go well. But... could I have stopped it? '' She sighed and shook her head. Life was becoming too complicated nowadays. She just wanted to curl up in her nest and sleep for a moon, which was exactly what she intended to do when they reached the LeafClan camp. The anxious and weary stares of her Clanmates bore into Amberpaw's pelt like nails as she trudged in after her patrol. Once upon a time, LeafClan would have been enraged at this development, but now they just looked defeated. Coughs and sneezes followed Shineheart out of the medicine cat den as she trotted towards them, examining their wounds. "Minor scratches," she said to Amberpaw. "Go see Fernpaw for some herbs." "Okay," she said, padding into the den. Instantly, the vile smell of sickness hit her like a wall, snuffing out all other thoughts momentarily. Shuddering, she turned to Fernpaw, who was chewing up herbs mixed with squirrel for Pearfur. Her sister gave her an exhausted, wan smile and lifted her tail to show she'd be there in a minute. Awkwardly, Amberpaw sat down, glancing about with worried eyes at her sick Clanmates. Their numbers seemed to grow every day, while the ranks of healthy warriors diminished and dwindled. ''We can't go on like this, ''she thought helplessly. "Here," Fernpaw said, handing her a few black poppy seeds. "These will help you sleep. And here's a light poultice for your neck wound." Her sage green eyes darkened. "We're dangerously low on herbs." Then she shook herself. "But that's not your problem. Get a good rest and you should be fine in the morning." "I hope so," Amberpaw said. "You can't escape your destiny, Amberpaw," Poppyheart said. "LeafClan will die without you going on your quest, as intended." Amberpaw sighed heavily. "I understand. When do I start?" "Not yet." The StarClan cat's gaze flickered with doubt as she stared at her, but it was gone in an instant. "There will be another cat. A companion on your journey. You must find this cat before you can start, or it will not go well." She narrowed her eyes. "After telling me that I need to save LeafClan on my own, you say I need help, and I can't do it alone? I'm not capable?" Poppyheart's hazel eyes clouded, as if she was seeing past Amberpaw to another scene in a different time. "Don't take it like that Amberpaw. Just know you need this cat, more then you'll ever realize till the end." "Okay," she said. "How do I find him or her?" "That's more like the cat we chose to save your Clan," she smiled approvingly. "You'll know this cat when you see the flower bloom, the fruit fall, and the claw's scratch at sundown." "Huh?" she said. But Poppyheart was already gone, and she was awakening in the apprentice's den, the rising sun spilling blood-red rays into the shadows. Narrowing her eyes, she vowed, "I ''will ''find this cat. I ''will ''go on this journey. And I- we ''will ''save LeafClan." ''The End